A Race Against Time
by Ziziannalyzer
Summary: Based on the first two episodes of season 2, this AU sees Coran altered by a corrupted wormhole, transformed into an infant. Without Coran's support, Team Voltron is far more vulnerable to the Galra, and our heroes must race against time to find a way to turn Coran back to normal. Shallura is heavily featured; other ships may make an appearance in the future.
1. Chapter 1

Shiro stumbled out of the Green Lion and into the hangar, leaning heavily on Hunk for support. Every breath was like a knife in his ribs, every heartbeat a throbbing pain in his side. Keith was right next to him, holding onto him; Shiro knew Pidge and Lance were just steps behind, ready to help however they could.

"It'll be okay, Shiro," Keith was saying. "We're home now. We made it- I knew we'd make it."

Shiro smiled faintly, glancing at Keith out the corner of his eye. "Why does that sound like an 'I told you so' in disguise?"

Pidge and Lance chuckled nervously behind him. As soon as everyone was off the ramp, Pidge and Lance darted ahead, heading straight for the doors.

"ALLURA! CORAN!" Lance yelled, sprinting past the other lions at full speed. "WE'RE BACK! BUT SHIRO'S-"

Lance stopped short and almost fell over when Allura suddenly appeared down the hallway, charging towards them. Pidge, unable to stop, rammed into Lance, and they both went down in a bickering heap. Hunk and Keith chuckled, but Shiro hardly noticed what was so funny- his eyes were only for Allura, relief flooding through him like a wave. She was safe- they were all safe- they'd survived that awful, awful wormhole, and they were together at last-

Wait…

Shiro squinted, blinking hard. Well, that couldn't be right. "Um…" Shiro panted; it was an effort just to speak, with that burning quintessence wound in his side. "Are you guys seeing this?"

"Whaaaa?" was Hunk's only reply. Keith didn't speak at all; he simply stared.

For Allura had strange cargo with her. When she finally came to a stop in front of Lance and Pidge, Shiro's eyes told him that Allura was holding a baby. A BABY, of all things- a chubby, redheaded one that was apparently having the time of its life, being bounced around by Allura's running. Allura herself looked terribly relieved, yet also terribly worried, especially when she laid eyes on Shiro. But before she could say anything, Lance sat up and spoke.

"HUH?"

His words seemed to release the others, who began to speak in turn. "Is… is that a- a baby?" Pidge stammered, her eyes almost as wide as her glasses.

Keith groaned, more in dread than disbelief. "Oh, no…"

Shiro simply stared, forgetting his pain for a moment. He was pretty sure there hadn't been a baby on board the Castle of Lions before the team got separated, but of course, anything could've happened since then. After all, he and Keith had been stranded and fought space lizards- come to think of it, Shiro wasn't feeling all that well after that, on top of the little scratch Haggar had given him- and Pidge had made a homing signal in a space junkyard. Hunk and Lance had gone and saved an entire PLANET, for crying out loud!

Hunk almost dropped an unsteady Shiro, who was leaning on him for support. "A BABY?! What? But- but where'd it come from? What the quiznak is-"

Allura interrupted him rather breathlessly. "It's Coran!" She held up the little baby, who gurgled and cooed at the paladins.

Silence fell.

After a long, uncomfortable moment, Shiro finally broke the silence. "What?" Well, this was just dandy- he must be hallucinating because of his wounds. There was no conceivable way that baby was Coran… was Allura finally losing it?...

Lance was the next to speak. "Well, he does have the red hair," he admitted uncertainly, getting to his feet. "And the blue markings. And the purple eyes. Just not the mustache."

Coran cooed cheerfully in response and reached out to Lance with his chubby little arms.

"But- but that's impossible!" Pidge sputtered. She didn't do well with the illogical. "Nobody can age backwards!"

"Nevertheless, that is what happened," Allura replied, seeming to calm down a little. "We got stuck in the wormhole- a time loop, you see- and every time we went through the end, Coran got younger and younger. Pidge's homing signal helped us get out, but Coran still isn't back to normal. Neither are the mice."

Coran, as if confirming her words, grabbed at the air in front of Keith and giggled wildly. Keith actually flinched, which didn't do Shiro much good, as Keith was helping Hunk support the Black Paladin. Shiro promptly went into a coughing fit, making his head spin and his legs shake.

At length he took a shaky breath- the pain was rushing back, almost overwhelming him. Fighting the fuzzy darkness that tinged the edge of his vision, he managed to force out, "How- how do we get him back to normal?"

Allura held Coran close and met Shiro's gaze with frightened eyes. "I don't know."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, have you found anything yet?"

Hunk was leaning over Pidge's shoulder, watching her type away on her laptop. She was intensely focused on her work, and it took Hunk several tries to get her attention.

"So can we fix-"

"Not yet, Hunk," Pidge replied, never looking away from her screen. She sounded a little testy. "This is kind of beyond my depth- I have a lot of research to do before we can even _begin_ to think about how to reverse this."

Lance was standing close by, looking deep in thought. "So, I'm kind of confused here- how did the wormhole even _do_ something like this? I know they have a lot to do with time, but how does that work, exactly?"

Pidge pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Well, first you have to think about how wormholes work- they're pretty much equivalent to black holes, except they're not naturally-occurring. Like black holes, wormholes can bend space itself, so they can bring far-away points closer together. That's how we jump from place to place across the universe."

"Yeah, but how do they even do that?" Lance persisted.

Pidge raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you pay attention in Col. Kolinsky's class at the Garrison?"

Lance crossed his arms defensively. "Hey, a lot has happened since then, okay? And besides, black holes were never really my thing."

"They're not my thing, either," Hunk said quickly, trying to stop an argument before it started. "Mind giving us a rundown?"

Pidge sighed, going back to her laptop. "Black holes are made when an object's internal pressure isn't enough to resist its own gravity. When it collapses, you've got a black hole. They're the heaviest things in the universe- they have really intense gravity, and that gravity bends spacetime."

"So, spacetime is like a bendy-sheet thingy?" Lance asked.

Pidge smirked. "That's one way to put it. Spacetime bends under the weight of the objects on it, and the heavier the object, the more spacetime bends. Black holes are heavy enough to bend spacetime, and since they're spinning, too, they also twist it."

"Dude." Hunk shook his head, nervously running his hands through his hair. "Okay, I'm a lot more scared of wormholing now."

Pidge shrugged. "Well, usually they work fine, but Haggar's magic blast destabilized this one. That must've made it bend spacetime in a funky way. But don't quote me on it- I'll need to run this past Allura and see what she thinks. She knows a lot more about this than I do."

"Yeah, but she's kind of got her hands full at the moment." Hunk's eyes wandered over the cryo-pod room to where Allura stood with Coran in her arms. Coran seemed on the verge of tears for no apparent reason- or at least, not one they could find. They'd tried everything: Food, a diaper change, toys (which were hard to come by, since the Castle of Lions wasn't exactly chock full of baby toys), a nap (Coran had stubbornly refused to sleep), songs, you name it. The paladins were at the end of their rope.

Hunk followed Allura's weary gaze to one of the cryo-pods, where Shiro was recovering from the beating he'd taken in the past few days. Allura was somehow monitoring Shiro's condition while also taking care of Coran, a feat in and of itself. But she had help. Keith was sitting on the floor right next to Shiro's pod; he'd refused to move for the past few hours, but had kept vigil for the Black Paladin with only short trips away to the bathroom. Hunk guessed he was also trying to stay as far away from baby Coran as possible, which was confusing to Hunk, since he didn't see much to fear in a baby. But then again, he had a huge family, in which babies were a fairly normal occurrence- Keith had no family and probably had never really handled a baby before.

What a foreign idea.

Hunk was about to say something comforting to Keith when Coran started wailing, making everyone jump in surprise; Pidge's laptop almost went flying, but as it was, Pidge herself went flying instead.

Coran had been threatening to cry for the past few hours, but apparently he was now making good on his threats. He was practically sobbing, reaching in the direction of…

Keith?

Coran's intentions seemed to dawn on Keith at about the same time as the others, and his face went white. "Oh, no. No, no, no no NO no."

Lance glared at the Red Paladin, crossing his arms. "Keith, would it kill you to hold him for a couple minutes?"

"I am NOT holding a screaming baby!" Keith protested, his voice filled with alarm. Hunk would've found it funny, if he hadn't felt sorry for Keith (and been extremely annoyed by Coran's crying).

Lance scoffed. "Aw, c'mon! I've held dozens of babies, and you're afraid to hold one for five minutes?"

"I'm not _afraid_ , Lance," Keith growled through gritted teeth.

Pidge sighed in exasperation. "Here we go again…"

Lance smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Then prove it, mullet."

"Look, he obviously wants you," Hunk reasoned, gesturing at Coran. "Just a few minutes won't hurt. He'll probably stop crying."

"Or he might not," Pidge remarked, a bit absently.

Hunk frowned at her, but before he could offer a retort, Allura was already handing little Coran over to a very stunned Keith. Coran's wailing died away almost instantly, fading into little sniffs and murmurs as he calmed down. Keith held him at arms' length, staring at the baby with a blank expression that made the others chuckle. Coran smiled and blew bubbles, making Keith's already pale face go even paler.

"W-what do I do with it?" he stammered, never looking away from Coran's face.

"First of all, it's a 'he', not an 'it'," Hunk said gently, chuckling as he spoke. "Second, you hold him close! Babies need physical contact."

Keith looked vaguely traumatized, but he obediently rested Coran against his shoulder, after several half-hearted tries. Coran gurgled happily, nestling himself into the crook of Keith's arm. Keith's entire body was rigid, but Hunk thought he could see him relax after a few moments, looking into Coran's bright eyes.

"See? You're doing wonderfully!" Allura shot Keith an encouraging glance. "Coran likes you. Look, he's calmed down and-"

"OW!" Keith yelped, making everyone jump again. Hunk realized that Coran was now yanking on Keith's hair, looking very pleased with himself. Keith, however, looked very far from pleased- in fact, he looked like he might drop Coran at any given moment. "LEGGO ME, YOU LITTLE-!"

"Oh, dear," Allura remarked, placing a hand over her mouth in what Hunk assumed was an attempt to hide a giggle.

Lance made no such effort. "He's grabbing your mullet!" he guffawed, almost doubled over with laughter. He was practically wheezing. "Ha! Your MULLET!"

"I can't concentrate with all this noise," Pidge grumbled, although a smile played about her mouth. She met Hunk's gaze, and the two of them started giggling uncontrollably.

Eventually Keith managed to pull free with help from Allura (after she finished laughing, much to Keith's chagrin), and he unceremoniously dumped Coran in Hunk's arms. "Here. You have it." Keith then stomped back to Shiro's cryo-pod, sitting down with his arms crossed and reminding Hunk very much of a pouting puppy.

Coran's reaction was immediate and severe. He started wailing again, though it was more akin to screeching this time; Hunk winced and tried to figure out what to do. Sing? He was unlikely to be heard at the moment. Pat? He tried that, but it seemed to have no effect. Food? At this point, Coran was more likely to choke on it than to swallow it. Toys? Where _were_ the toys, anyway? Hunk's mind was whirling.

"START BOUNCING HIM," Lance bawled, trying to be heard over the noise. "IT USUALLY HELPS WHEN I BABYSIT MY NIECE AND NEPHEW."

Hunk obeyed, starting to bounce little Coran gently. It took a little while, but Lance's advice held true; Coran slowly but surely began to calm down, though he still cast betrayed glances at Keith every now and then. Slowly, the little Altean snuggled into the crook of Hunk's arm, his breathing becoming deep and rhythmic.

"Oh, thank goodness," Pidge whispered, breathing a sigh of relief. "My ears were about to explode."

Allura nodded. "I think we should follow Coran's example. It's been a long couple of quintants for us all, and we _must_ rest. That goes for you, too, Keith," she added pointedly, giving the Red Paladin a stern look.

"I'll rest here." Keith shrugged. "I've slept in worse places."

Allura hesitated a moment, then sighed in defeat. "All right. Take a break, Pidge," she said, patting Pidge on the shoulder. "If I'm correct, we'll have plenty of time to research how to turn Coran back to normal."

Pidge merely grunted in reply, seeming not to hear the princess's words. Allura smiled and shook her head, turning to Lance and Hunk. "Thank you so much for helping to take care of Coran- I couldn't manage without you."

"Anytime, Princess," Lance replied, using his smoothest voice. "I'd do anything-"

"We'll take turns watching him," Hunk interrupted, rescuing Allura from one of Lance's flirtations. "You go rest- we'll wake you up in a couple vargas."

Allura opened her mouth to protest, but when Hunk gave her his best attempt at a firm look, she seemed to relent. She nodded wordlessly and turned to leave; Hunk noticed her linger at the door, giving Shiro's cryo-pod a long look. Her face was hard to read, but emotion sparkled in her eyes as she finally turned and left the room.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Allura was enjoying a deep, dreamless sleep- one free of the terrible nightmares that frequently plagued her, one that let her rest undisturbed. Well, at least, it did until cries erupted somewhere nearby. She groaned, only half-awake, and buried her head further into her pillow. The mice weren't going to let her sleep, though, and scampered over her head, weaving through her snowy hair and squawking incessantly. With their new avian forms, that was a lot more painful than it would have been otherwise. That, combined with the crying, yanked Allura out of slumber within doboshes.

"Hmm? What?" Allura groggily sat up, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand. The cries were clearer now, and it didn't take long for her to remember what- or, rather, _who_ \- was causing them. _Quiznak_.

Allura rolled out of bed with a moan, throwing on her robe before stumbling out of her nice, dark room and into the bright lights of the hallway. It didn't take long to find the source of the cries. When she came into the dining room, she found a screaming Coran in the arms of Lance. Lance looked distinctly miserable and angry and tired all at once. Nearby, Hunk and Pidge looked almost as desperate as Coran, although for completely different reasons.

"ALLURA!" Hunk yelled, trying to be heard over Coran's screeching. "HE WON'T STOP CRYING!"

"WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING!" Pidge cried, covering her ears. "TOYS, SONGS, BOUNCES, DIAPER CHANGES, FOOD- YOU NAME IT!"

Lance nodded listlessly. "He doesn't like food goo much," he remarked, sounding a little out of it. "Or liquefied food goo. Which is all we have. It might disagree with his stomach. I don't blame him. The stuff's pretty… blah. Which is how I feel at this precise moment."

Coran was making it hard to hear anything, so Allura didn't catch all of Lance's words, but she managed to make out "liquefied food goo". Her eyes widened in dismay. "You've been giving him WHAT?! No wonder he's so upset!"

Hunk nodded a little sheepishly. "We know he should have formula, but we just don't have any! I've been trying to make my own, but In don't know how he'll like it-"

"Go get it!" Allura ordered, assuming her most authoritative tone. "NOW!"

Hunk nodded obediently and ran off, Pidge hurrying along behind him. Allura watched them go, then turned to Lance and took a squalling Coran from him. Lance's face broke into an ecstatic smile.

"Oh, thank you, Princess! Thank you!" Lance sounded almost near tears, he was so relieved. "Bless you! You're the most _wonderf_ -"

"Save it for later, Lance," Allura cut in. "Now go rest- you look as haggard as a Griffle Beast."

Lance rocketed out of his chair with astonishing speed and charged out of the room, not looking back once. Allura sighed a little enviously, then turned back to Coran, whose face was just about as red as Keith's armor. He whimpered piteously and nestled into her arms, his cries dying down slightly.

"Probably wants to nurse," came Pidge's voice, making Allura jump and Coran whine. Apparently, the Green Paladin had returned from the kitchen and was now sitting at the dining room table, looking only half-awake. Her glasses were on crooked and her hair was everywhere, which would've been funny if Allura hadn't been so mortified by her words.

"WHAT?" Allura thrust Coran out at arm's length and shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no. No no no no!"

Pidge shrugged, laying her head in her crossed arms on the table. "He's a baby. He doesn't know better- he's just doing what babies do." She paused, wrinkling her eyebrows. "At least, I think so. I don't know much about babies- they're not really my interest. They're loud and messy and whiny and…"

Allura paid no attention to Pidge's long string of grievances. Instead, she hoped with everything in her that Hunk would _hurry_ and tried to block out Coran's cries, which had abruptly returned in greater force. He was truly miserable- like Pidge had said, he was only a baby and didn't understand what was going on. Allura knew this, but she couldn't help herself- she just _couldn't_. Quiznak, she wished this were over…

Just when Allura thought she couldn't stand the noise any longer, Hunk charged in with a bottle, almost spilling it everywhere. "DONE!"

"Oh, thank the ancients!" Allura snatched the bottle from him and put it in Coran's tiny mouth. Instantly, he stopped crying and started to suckle with incredible speed. Allure breathed a sigh of relief- maybe now her ears would stop ringing.

Pidge sat up a little. "Have I gone completely deaf, or has Coran stopped crying?"

Hunk laughed wearily, draping himself over her chair. "Your ears are fine, I think. He's finally stopped."

Coran finished his bottle within minutes, seeming infinitely happier than before, although a little uncomfortable. Allura put him over her shoulder and patted him for a couple minutes, and his discomfort disappeared when he burped. He gurgled pleasantly and settled himself against Allura's shoulder, finally closing his eyes.

"Aww." Hunk smiled fondly. "Babies are so cute when they sleep."

"That's about the only time they're cute," Pidge murmured into the table. Hunk and Allura exchanged amused glances and shook their heads.

Everyone was getting used to the silence, the beautiful, beautiful silence, when the doors zipped open and Keith barged in, his face a picture of fright. "ALLURA!"

Hunk yelped, Allura almost dropped Coran, who woke up abruptly with a startled cry, and Pidge jumped at least a foot out of her chair, her glasses flying off her face.

Keith didn't even let them say anything- he just started frantically blabbering. "Shiro's thrashing around in his cryo-pod and the thing's beeping all red and I don't know what's going on and-"

Allura gasped, alarm surging through her. She should never have left, she should've stayed to monitor Shiro, she should've- "I'm coming!" She thrust little Coran into Keith's arms, as he was the closest to her, and hurried out of the room, leaving a very overwhelmed Keith with a very upset Coran. Keith blinked, not really registering what just happened, as Hunk and Pidge ran out on Allura's heels.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Keith and Coran made it to the cryo-pod room, the atmosphere was much calmer. Allura was typing away at a nearby station, and Pidge and Hunk were standing next to Shiro's pod, looking calm enough. Keith's eyes went to Shiro first, and he observed that while Shiro had a troubled look on his face, he seemed much more peaceful than he had mere doboshes ago.

"Is he okay?" Keith demanded, walking up to the pod. "What happened?"

"He was waking up- or _is_ waking up, actually," Allura replied, her voice heavy with relief. "The healing process often increases brain activity, so that is likely the cause of his movement. I think it's bringing him back to consciousness."

Keith's heart began to resume normal operations, and he let out a deep sigh. "Oh. Good." He paused, a worrying thought coming to mind. "That- that _is_ good, right?"

Allura hesitated just a tick before replying. "Well, he isn't in top condition yet, but he is within safe parameters. He will be all right- he'll just need to take it easy for the next few quintants."

"That won't be a problem," Pidge remarked, absent-mindedly tapping the cryo-pod's glass exterior. "Without Coran, Voltron's kind of at a standstill. He's a big part of our backup here at the Castle."

Keith looked down at little Coran, who was still a tad miffed at Keith for interrupting his nap. It was hard to believe that Coran- that brave, if eccentric man who had always made sure everyone on board got what they needed, whether they wanted it or not- was now trapped inside this little infant's body, not even aware of what had happened to him. Keith felt a familiar pang in his heart, but he frowned and tried to push it away.

"We'll figure out a way to get him back to normal," he insisted, almost more to convince himself than the others. "There's gotta be a way."

"What if we open up another wormhole?" Hunk suggested. "But like, not a corrupted one? Do you think that might help?"

Allura paused in her work, looking deep in thought. "It was a corrupted wormhole that changed Coran- I'm not sure if a regular one would help. That said, I'm not in favor of going through a corrupted wormhole again. That's simply asking for even more trouble."

"Yeah, that would be stupid," Hunk agreed. He glanced at Shiro and started in surprise. "Hey! Hey, his eyes- HE'S WAKING UP!" He turned and ran out of the room- to get Lance, Keith assumed.

Keith immediately stepped even closer to the pod, gazing in at Shiro's face. His friend's eyelids fluttered several times, each time more noticeable than the last. Finally they opened completely, and Shiro's dark grey eyes looked into Keith's. Panic flashed in Shiro's eyes for a tick, but they slowly flooded with relief as he seemed to realize where he was.

"Hey, buddy," Keith said quietly, grinning. "Welcome back."

Coran giggled and reached out to the cryo-pod, placing his dimpled hands on the glass as he babbled away in a language only he understood. Shiro looked pretty groggy, but a faint smile tugged at his lips, and he wearily placed a fingertip over Coran's hand. Keith wasn't sure Shiro remembered what had happened to Coran, but evidently, it made Shiro happy to see him.

When Hunk reentered with a sleepy Lance in tow, Keith and Allura were helping Shiro out of the pod- Keith had delegated Coran to Pidge, the latter of whom was staring at the former with a glazed expression. Coran simply grinned, although the grin faltered for a moment as his face contorted oddly. Pidge gasped like she'd just been shot with a giant laser gun.

"HE'S DYING! HE'S HURT! HE'S-"

"Doing a Number Two, by the looks of it," cut in Lance, rubbing his eyes. He stared ahead rather blankly for a tick, until he seemed to register what was happening. "SHIRO! You're awake!"

Pidge gasped again, sounding even more horrified. "He's WHAT?!"

Keith was intensely glad he had given Coran over to Pidge. Poor Pidge. Well, she was a tough girl; she could certainly deal with a simple diaper change-

"Ohhhhh, no no no no!" Pidge held Coran at arm's length and danced frantically around the room, trying to find some poor soul with nothing else to do. Unfortunately, it seemed that everyone was suddenly very busy helping Shiro- especially Keith, who was not going to change that baby for anything in the universe, thank you and goodbye.

"What's going on?" Shiro asked as Keith and Allura lowered him into a chair. He coughed faintly, filling Keith with concern. He was about to say something when Coran piped up, using the only word he seemed to know.

"Poopies!" he crowed cheerfully, beaming and looking very proud of himself.

Shiro surprised everyone by letting out a sudden snort. Although it turned into a cough, Keith knew it was suppressed laughter. He sighed. Well, he'd forgotten the more juvenile side of Shiro's sense of humor- it almost never came out, but it was there, and it appeared to be alive and well.

"Sorry," Shiro panted, breaking out in a grin. "It's just- after being unconscious, and _that's_ the first thing you hear-" He shook his head and chuckled raspily.

Lance joined in heartily, while Hunk did so a little more hesitantly- probably trying not to attract attention to himself, which was a good idea, given the desperation Pidge was in. Keith and Allura just rolled their eyes and sighed.

"Just change the diaper, Pidge," Allura said, shaking her head.

"But I'm not- why me? I don't know the first thing about changing diapers!" Pidge rushed over to Allura and tried to hand over Coran, who was having a marvelous time. He giggled adorably and reached out for Allura, who wrinkled her nose in distaste. She crossed her arms in stubborn refusal.

"Listen, Coran is my major-domo, and he's known me since _I_ was a baby. I am NOT changing his diaper." She sounded dreadfully firm. "I just- it's not right, and I won't do it."

Pidge sputtered, her face turning bright red with anger. "Well- well, you can't expect ME to do it!"

Lance snickered, and judging by the look on his face, Keith knew he was going to make some smart remark. "Shirking duty, eh, Pidge?"

" _Duty_ ," Shiro exclaimed, putting his head in his hands. His shoulders shook with laughter. "I'm too tired for this…"

Keith rolled his eyes, though inside he felt a burst of warmth. He'd forgotten how goofy Shiro could get when he was desperately tired; it was good to see him smiling again, laughing again, enjoying pure silliness. He deserved it, especially after everything that had happened to him- to all of them.

Pidge's gaze swung over to Hunk, who flinched visibly. "Look, I don't know how to change diapers either." He looked a tad green. "I just left that to the grownups- I never learned how."

"No time like the present," Pidge growled, thrusting a giggling Coran into Hunk's hands. Hunk gasped, but kept a firm grip around Coran's waist.

Allura sighed loudly, making her displeasure clear. "Please! You can defend the universe, but you can't change one measly diaper?"

"I don't see _you_ doing it," Shiro remarked, his voice barely over a murmur. Only Keith and Allura heard, as they were standing closest to him, but the effect was profound.

Allura gasped sharply, giving Shiro a wrathful look. "You know why I can't! Don't you DARE-" She started scolding him, which didn't seem to bother him, seeing as he continued to smirk. It annoyed Keith how Shiro was simply enjoying the chaos before him. Of course- _he_ couldn't change the diaper, _he_ could barely hold himself up. It wasn't fair…

Hunk turned desperately to Lance. "You're the one with a huge family- well, yeah, I guess I have one too, but I never really had to change diapers, and you, you probably have, in fact I _know_ you have, so will you please, please, PLEASE-"

"Okay, okay," Lance laughed, taking Coran. "If you sissies can't bring yourselves to do it, then I guess I have to." He shook his head in mock disgust, clucking his tongue in a way that made Keith's blood boil.

Lance laid Coran down on a nearby table. "Ah! First I require a clean diaper. Pidge, if you would be so kind as to fetch one for me, I would consider it reconciliation for shirking your duty. As for you, Keith, please go get some disinfecting wipes- there should be some in this very room. I shall also need a changing pad, or something that can function as one. Be prepared to give up a t-shirt. And Hunk, if you would be willing to sacrifice something entertaining for the young miscreant here, it would make everything much, much easier. You'll probably never get it back, but at least you'll know you sacrificed it for a good cause. Now get to it! Chop chop!"

The paladins scattered. Keith grumbled every step of the way- he was acutely aware of Shiro's amused gaze following him as Allura gave him a checkup. Oh, Keith was sure it was all _hysterical._ He hoped Shiro was enjoying this, and he hoped Shiro had ten or twelve children someday.

Soon the necessaries were procured, and within minutes, Lance had a fresh, clean diaper on baby Coran, who happily played with his floating cube the entire time. Lance even slam-dunked the dirty diaper into the waste bin with impeccable aim; the waste bin was from then on unanimously voted suitable to fire at enemy ships.

"Wow. You make it look easy," Hunk remarked, slapping Lance on the back.

Lance smiled as he washed his hands. "It all comes from experience. Just give the baby something to play with while you change it, and it won't cause you any trouble."

"You did an excellent job," Allura said, smiling. "Thank you."

Lance gave a smirk that everyone knew well- a precursor to some pickup line, be it clever or dreadful. "So, do I get a congratulatory kiss?" he asked with affected innocence, arching an eyebrow flirtatiously.

Allura's smile vanished, replace by an exasperated frown. " _You_ may have congratulatory diaper duty."

"Aw, hey!" Lance attempted to protest, but he quickly broke into a laugh with the others. He winked at little Coran, who was laying contentedly in Hunk's arms. Coran smiled and blew bubbles in response, making everyone- even Keith- smile.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Life changed aboard the Castle of Lions, and it changed abruptly. Although Shiro now remembered how he'd escaped from the Galra- with the help of someone named Ulaz- and had gained coordinates of possible allies, there was little Team Voltron could do about it for the moment without Coran. Everyone was quickly realizing how important Coran was to the team, and what a big hole he left in his incapacitated state. They half-expected to hear Coran chiming in with strangely-put but timely bits of wisdom, to hear him promising to back them up on a mission, to hear his funny sayings and stories- but all they heard was a little infant going about his business, mostly unintelligibly, as infants are wont to do.

The next few quintants were a flurry of activity, though most of it was far more domestic than the action-packed lifestyle the paladins had become used to. Keith unwillingly became Coran's favorite playmate, or "mullet mate", as Lance so generously put it. Coran absolutely adored Keith, especially his hair, and often tried to snatch a sample. Keith was unamused. However, he liked baby Coran more than he cared to admit, and certain parties had a sneaking suspicion that he baby talked to Coran when he thought no one was around.

Hunk quickly established himself as the worst, and most shameless, baby talker on the team. He prepared gourmet baby food for Coran's every meal, though he had to be told to simplify it a little bit, as it was a little too rich for a baby Altean's stomach. He was forced to stick with baby formula and a teensy bit of watered-down food goo; he simply had to be satisfied with holding Coran literally whenever he could, except when Coran was crying, in which case Hunk ever so kindly delegated him to someone else.  
Pidge was rather terrified of Coran- she had no idea what to do with him, really, but with Lance and Hunk's help, she learned to spend time with him in her own way. She was determined to see if it was only Coran's body that had changed, not his mind; she tested her hypothesis by trying to help him use the tech around the Castle again. That ended badly. Coran smacked his control panel with his little fists and almost sent the ship careening into a nearby moon. From then on, Pidge stuck with showing Coran holographs of Altean animals (with safety mode ON) and other such pastimes.

Lance probably adjusted to the change better than anyone. Whenever there was a problem concerning little Coran, Lance usually had a solution, and although they didn't always work, his experience was never in question. He often played with Coran (Coran's favorite game was hide and seek, after "pull Keith's hair" and "grab whatever I can find") and showed him around the castle, pointing out stars and telling him stories of Voltron's adventures. He accepted his appointment to diaper duty with surprising grace and even taught the others how to do it- well, everyone but Keith and Pidge. The two of them were more than happy to remain ignorant.

Allura, with her knowledge of wormholes, was more often than not working with Pidge to try to figure out a way to turn Coran back to normal, but she still made time for her trusted advisor-turned-infant. She often bottle-fed and burped him, and held him when he cried. Every night, without fail, the two could be found in the simulation room among the juniberry fields; Allura sang the sweet lullabies of her people under a carpet of Altean stars until little Coran drifted off to dreamland.

Shiro was unable to do anything for a couple quintants, as he was still recovering from his various wounds, but he did his best to help as soon as possible- perhaps a little _too_ soon. It was only two nights after Shiro emerged from the cryo-pod that Allura found him holding a crying Coran, rocking the little lad back to sleep. Despite others' protests, Shiro stubbornly continued to keep an eye on Coran during the night, and gradually began doing more than just rocking. He couldn't participate in training sessions, but he supervised them with little Coran bouncing on his knee. He played peekaboo and pat-a-cake with him while Allura, Pidge, and Hunk were conducting research. He did his best to help Lance and Hunk bathe the little Altean, or help Keith and Pidge get more comfortable with handling a baby. He, too, held the baby when he cried, softly singing the Japanese lullabies his grandfather sang to him years before. In fact, the other paladins referred to him as "Space Dad" more and more often; at first, they whispered it behind his back, almost as a secret joke, but the moment Lance called him "Space Dad" directly, all followed suit.

Except Keith. Keith just thought it was weird.

It was soon to be seen that, as much as everyone loved Coran, only Shiro and Allura had the dedication and discipline necessary to keep up with Coran at all times. The name "Space Mom" started cropping up whenever Allura wasn't in the room, and it didn't take long for it to be paired with "Space Dad".

Keith still refused to call Shiro "Space Dad". That went well with Lance's refusal to call Allura "Space Mom", although his refusal was for entirely different reasons.

The first time the paladins referred to Shiro and Allura as the "Space parents" in their hearing, a strange, unreadable look spread over Shiro's face- not even Keith could make it out, which bugged him. Allura herself laughed it off, but there was a strange ring to her laugh that made the others think she wasn't as indifferent to the term as she seemed.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Shiro blinked groggily, pulling himself out of a light sleep. He yawned and stretched- man, it felt good to stretch- and looked around the room. With a start he realized he was in Coran's room- and Coran was conspicuously absent.

Shiro rocketed out of his chair in alarm. Quiznak, he must've fallen asleep! The last thing he knew, Coran had been sleeping soundly in his arms, but who knew how long ago that had been? It was nighttime and everyone else was asleep, so nobody would've seen where Coran had gone. Shiro's heart splashed in his chest. He hadn't realized that Coran could move around so much; there were plenty of dangerous things in the Castle, things that hadn't been baby-proofed yet. Shiro made a mental note to get that done as he hurried out of Coran's room and started the search, ignoring the stitch in his side that flared whenever he moved too quickly.

About an hour later, a rather frantic Shiro stood in front of Allura's bedroom door. He'd looked high and low all over the Castle- except, of course, in the princess's room. Going in there was a breach of privacy, and all his gentlemanly instincts told him to turn around and walk away. However, it was the only place he hadn't searched, and he was desperate to find Coran at this point. What if he'd choked on something? What if he'd ingested something poisonous? What if he'd somehow opened an airlock and was sucked out into space? What if he'd touched the Castle's quintessence sockets and had gotten _fried_?!

Okay, that was a bit of a stretch.

Even so, other such disastrous situations whirled through Shiro's head as he tiptoed into Allura's bedroom. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, but he quickly spotted a flash of orange- there was Coran, sitting on the floor next to Allura's bed, playing with his fingers and looking the picture of health.  
Shiro let out a low sigh of relief. Thank goodness! Now he could stop worrying and get Coran back to bed…

It was then Shiro noticed that Allura was fast asleep. Well, of course she was, like any sane person would be in the middle of the night. Besides, she'd been working hard lately; harder than ever, perhaps, trying to figure out a way to get Coran back to normal. Between taking care of Coran, running tests, researching, keeping a close eye on the Galra, keeping the Castle up and running, and taking over for Shiro in training- something that made Shiro twinge with guilt- she was worn thin. He worried about her, probably more than she worried about him, which was saying something. She kept giving Shiro check-ups and insisting he ought to rest more, that his body still hadn't fully recovered from the beating it'd taken, but Shiro knew who really needed the rest.

Which was why he put his foot down when it came to night shifts with Coran. He was determined that the rest of the team, especially the princess, should get their needed rest. Besides, it wasn't like he was sleeping too well these days. Except for tonight, apparently. He shook his head, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

He pushed his frustration away, focusing on the task at hand: Retrieving Coran without waking Allura. He had to be absolutely silent- to wake her would be terrible. Not just because she needed the rest, but waking a princess by invading her room in the middle of the night? That would be extremely disrespectful.

And scary.

Very scary.

Shiro took a deep, quiet breath and tiptoed towards Coran, his feet making hardly any sound against the floor. Coran looked up at him and, with a sweet little smile, reached out for him with his chubby little arms. Shiro smiled in turn and scooped the little redhead up, turning on his heel and heading for the door. Well, that wasn't so hard! Coran was being remarkably quiet, for which Shiro was grateful. There, they were at the door, and now-

"Ma-muh?" Coran lisped, drooling on Shiro's shoulder. Like most babies, he had no concept of an "inside voice", and his words (if you could call them that) rang through the room clear as day.

Shiro froze. Oh, no, please no, Coran, please be quiet, please let the princess stay asleep, please-

His heart sank as he heard the rustle of sheets, as he felt someone's eyes on him. Quiznak.

"Shiro?" came Allura's sleepy voice.

Shiro turned around, feeling incredibly guilty for some reason. "Uhh…" He held up Coran in plain view, hoping Allura would get the idea. "This little urchin managed to get away from me, and he came in here, so here I am. Uh, removing him. That's all."

Allura sat up in bed, looking more confused than anything else. "Are you all right, Shiro?"

"Yes…" Shiro said at length, taken aback by the sudden question.

"It's just, you seem uncomfortable." Allura leaned over, pressing something on her nightstand, and soft lights turned on, bathing the room in an aqua glow. "There. Some light should help."

Shiro nodded, feeling just as uncomfortable as Allura had said. Nearby the mice- or birds, which was what they looked like now- chattered unhappily, grumpy at being disturbed in their sleep. Shiro smiled a little and looked around the room. With surprise he noted that, although it was very beautiful, it was also very empty, and it had a rather… _lonely_ feel to it. How strange, that such a lively, friendly princess should stay in such a lonely, secluded room…

"No one comes in here much," Allura remarked, almost apologetically, as she tucked her night robe around her. She started to get up, but Shiro shook his head.

"No, no, no, it's okay! I'm really sorry for disturbing you, Princess- we'll be going now-"

"Ma-ma!" Coran exclaimed, interrupting.

Allura's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, dear. Did- did he just say…?"

Shiro nodded, smiling despite his discomfort. "I'm pretty sure Lance and Pidge taught him that."

"Oh. Oh dear." Allura's face was unreadable for a moment, but then a giggle spilled out. Somehow, her laughter calmed Shiro's nerves, and he joined in- she was too infectious to not laugh along with her.

"That's Lance and Pidge for you," he chuckled. He readjusted his grip on Coran and turned towards the door. "Goodnight, princess-"

"Wait!"

When Shiro turned to look at her, Allura seemed surprised at herself, as though the word had come unbidden. She hesitated for a few ticks, then said softly, "Would… would you stay, perhaps? I don't mean to inconvenience you, but-" She gestured around the room. "I _would_ like a little company. But you don't have to if- I know you need rest- oh, never mind. You go on."

Shiro spoke without a second thought. "No, it's okay," he said gently, although his discomfort came rushing back. "We'll stay." He returned to Allura's bedside, placing Coran in the snug blankets. He cooed pleasantly and started drooling immediately. Shiro smiled at the little one but remained standing, almost at attention. It wasn't his place to…  
Allura smiled warmly. "You may sit down, you know. It's far more comfortable."

"Oh. Oh! Uh…" Shiro's eyes flickered between Allura and the bed. Oh, quiznak. "You sure?"

"Of course."

Shiro cleared his throat and sat down at the foot of the bed, keeping his back ramrod straight. His thoughts were a jangled, jumpy mess. Why was he suddenly so uncomfortable? He'd been a little nervous before, but that was just because he hadn't wanted to wake her. Now it was different, though he couldn't have said how. It wasn't like he was imposing on her; she'd _invited_ him to stay.

"You may also _relax_ ," Allura prompted, her eyes glittering with amusement.

Shiro looked up from watching Coran. "I can what- oh! Oh, okay. Sorry." He smiled sheepishly, cursing himself for being so awkward. There went his dignity. But when he saw the friendly look on Allura's face, the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled, he found that he didn't mind so much anymore.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Both the princess and the Black Paladin completely lost track of time after that. While little Coran fell asleep between them, they started to talk- about the war; about the universe at large; about the people they'd met and the friends they'd made; about little, inconsequential things, like the foods they liked and the music they'd heard; about their home planets; about their families. Burdens they'd tried to keep from the others spilled out, and they felt their hearts grow lighter for the telling. Unease melted away- nothing could distract them, except for maybe Coran's miniature snores. The more they talked, the more natural it felt. It just felt…

 _Right_.

Eventually the conversation faded to a companionable silence, and it wasn't long before Shiro's eyelids began to flutter. Within doboshes he was sprawled on the end of the bed, like he hadn't slept in years. Coran was snuggled up next to him, nestled against the contour of Shiro's arm. Unwittingly, Shiro placed a gentle hand on Coran, holding him just a little bit closer.

Allura was still wide awake, and she smiled at the endearing little scene before her. She watched them for a while, afraid to break the peaceful silence, just enjoying it. It'd been so long since she'd seen something so peaceful, so undisturbed by the cares of the world. At length, though, she eased herself out of bed and came over to where Shiro and Coran were. First she picked up Coran, who continued to sleep soundly, even when she took him back to his room and laid him down in his own bed.

Allura watched him sleep with a mixture of emotions. It was so sweet, so precious; yet, it wasn't quite right. It wasn't right at all. This was not the Coran she remembered- not the man who'd always had time for her, who'd always supported and protected her, who'd told her jokes and stories, who'd set off on secret adventures with her, ones even her parents never knew about.

This was not how he was supposed to be- not now.

"We'll find a way to bring you back, Coran," Allura whispered, leaning down next to Coran's head. "I will never give up on you. _Never_." She planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, stood over him, watching him, her heart aching. Finally she slipped out of the room in silence.

She returned to her room to find Shiro in the same position, still sacked out, just as she'd left him. She chuckled softly and shook her head, lifting him up without trouble. She started carrying him back to his room, careful not to disturb his slumber- it seemed like the man never got a decent night's sleep. Such a stubborn thing.

Soon Allura laid Shiro down in his own bed, pulling the blanket over him snugly. She was about to leave when she heard a low moan. Turning around, she saw a troubled expression cross Shiro's face, saw his eyebrows knit together as if he were in pain. He tossed his head, letting out another moan- louder this time.

A nightmare- he must be having a nightmare! Allura hurried back to his side, wondering what to do as his chest started heaving with frantic, gasping breaths. Tentatively she reached out and lightly touched his shoulder; she hardly knew what hit her when Shiro cried out in fright and pushed her away with incredible strength. She staggered back a few steps in shock; it took her a few ticks to realize that Shiro wasn't actually conscious and hadn't pushed her in ill will.

He was scared. Terrified.

"Shiro, it's me," Allura blurted- she wasn't sure if talking would help, but she had to do something. "It's Allura. You're not in danger! You're all right!"

Shiro thrashed, his sounds of distress growing louder. He was now tangled in the blanket, and it was clearly making his nightmare worse. Allura swallowed hard and stepped forward- she knew she could easily defend herself against him, but she didn't want to hurt him, or scare him either. If she could just get that blanket off, maybe he would feel better…

She reached out and grabbed hold of the blanket, trying to wrench it away from him. It was hard, slow going, especially when he was thrashing around; she received a number of bruises, but in the end her strength trumped his. Finally she held the blanket in her hands; it looked much worse for wear, but that wasn't her concern at the moment. She let it fall to the floor as she placed a firm hand on his shoulder, speaking softly, soothingly all the while.

"You're going to be all right, Shiro. Just breathe- I'm right here. It's Allura, Shiro, and I'm not leaving you." She braced herself as Shiro struggled against her, crying out in panic. "It's okay, Shiro! I've got you! You don't have to be afraid!"

Shiro's eyes flew open, gazing unseeingly at Allura's face. For an instant he stared, and then he was clinging to her, burying his face in the crook of her arm, holding on with all his might as he gasped for breath. Allura held him close, relief flooding through her.

"I've got you, I've got you," she said over and over, enveloping him in a hug. "You're safe, Shiro- you don't have to be afraid."

They stayed that way for a long while, until Shiro's rigid body finally relaxed, until he rested his head on her shoulder, until he finally slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Shiro scratched his head in confusion as he walked down the hallway, heading toward the dining room for breakfast. He'd woken up at the usual time- far earlier than the other Paladins, for certain- and nothing about his morning routine was out of place, except for the fact that he couldn't remember how he'd gotten back to his room last night. The last thing he remembered was being in Allura's room, retrieving Coran. Well, that had been the original plan, but if Shiro was remembering correctly, he and Allura had started… talking, perhaps? In the middle of the night? He couldn't recall any details, but it had been a pleasant experience. It still didn't explain how he'd gotten to his own room, though.

He shrugged it off. It didn't matter- the important thing was that he felt more rested than he had in a while, and that meant he could better serve the team. And keep an eye on Coran, he thought with a chuckle.

Shiro smiled fondly, hearing lively chatter as he approached the dining room. However, as soon as he stepped inside, the talk died down in an instant, replaced by a vaguely uncomfortable silence. Hunk was suddenly very involved in feeding Coran, who was more interested in knocking his bowl of food to the floor than in eating.

Nearby, Pidge wore the smuggest smile Shiro had seen in a very long time; she looked incredibly pleased with herself, and her eyes glittered with mirth when Shiro entered the room. Shiro had seen the same expression on Matt's face many times- the resemblance between him and his little sister was quite striking- and knew he should proceed with caution. Nothing good could come from a smirk like that, he thought, smiling wryly as some memories came to mind.

In contrast to Pidge's thinly-veiled glee, Lance looked perfectly miserable. He seemed to be struggling to contain himself, and anger flashed in his eyes; when Shiro glanced at him, he refused to make eye contact and instead turned away. Shiro knit his eyebrows together in concern for the Blue Paladin as the latter fidgeted in his chair.

Keith appeared to have forgotten how to use a spoon, given how he was inspecting one intently. He cast Shiro a furtive glance, then seemed to panic when Shiro made eye contact and promptly dropped the spoon on the floor. He dove under the table and spent a good deal longer time looking for it than Shiro judged was necessary.

This was going to be interesting.

"Well, that was abrupt," Shiro remarked, nonchalantly sliding into his seat. "Am I interrupting something?"

Hunk let out an exasperated groan as Coran knocked his bowl to the floor. "No, you're fine. Coran, can't you just _eat_ this?!"

"No," Coran replied, happy to use one of his newest words.

Shiro chuckled, turning to smile at the others. "You're sure nothing's wrong?"

"Absolutely, positively, completely and totally sure." Lance sounded as if he were trying to be respectful, but there was still a noticeable catch to his voice that made Shiro wonder just what had been going on before he entered the room.

Pidge smiled serenely. "Yup! Everything's good here."

"Oh really?" Shiro raised an eyebrow, casting Pidge a skeptical glance. "Why don't I believe that?"

Pidge opened her mouth to provide a glib answer, but before the words left her mouth, Allura came into the room, greeting the others with a cheery "Good morning!" and taking her usual spot next to Coran. Coran giggled and reached out for her, crying, "Mama!" The paladins tittered, even Keith, although his laughter seemed a bit forced; Lance merely smiled, and rather weakly at that.

Allura turned to Shiro, asking briskly, "So, did you sleep well after your nightmare?"

"My what?" Shiro blinked, confused.

"You know- your nightmare. The one you had after I took you back to your room last night."

Shiro sifted through his memory, trying to recall what she said had happened. "I…"

"I suppose it is natural that you would have no memory of it," Allura went on, seeming perfectly at ease. "You were asleep, after all."

Shiro had the distinct feeling of being lost. "I was?"

Allura nodded, taking a spoonful of food goo. "You fell asleep on my bed, so I carried you back to your room."

There was a very badly-repressed snort from Pidge, followed by wheezing. Hunk cleared his throat discreetly, a hint of a smile playing about his mouth. Lance's frown deepened, making him look somewhat reminiscent of a cranky monkey. Keith coughed not so discreetly and started shoveling food goo into his mouth in stunning quantities. Coran blew a big, wet raspberry, spraying the table in front of him with watery green goo.

Shiro's face suddenly felt as if it were on fire, although he wasn't precisely sure why. Did they-?

"Well, it's nice to have confirmation," Pidge remarked, adjusting her glasses. "I wasn't sure if I'd actually seen you carrying him or not. I was working late on a project," she added by way of explanation.

Hunk shot Pidge a warning look. "Pidge-"

Lance suddenly stood up, slapping his hands against the table and glowering at Shiro. "And what exactly were you _doing_ in Allura's room, hmm?!"

Shiro's eyes widened, but he took a deep, calming breath and answered in an even tone, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. "I was looking for Coran, Lance. I fell asleep and he got away from me."

"Oh _REALLY_?" Lance spat. His gaze swung around to Allura. "Can you verify this?"

Allura looked incredibly confused. "Yes? Coran had gotten into my room."

"Oh rea-" Lance stopped short, looking surprised. "… oh." He stood there for a moment, then sat back in his chair, crossing his arms and giving Shiro a suspicious look.

For goodness' sake, did Lance really think Shiro was threatening his relationship with- Shiro cut his thoughts short. That was ridiculous. Of course, Lance was often ridiculous, but still. "There's nothing to get worked up about," Shiro said firmly, taking his cup in his hand.

"Right!" Allura agreed, her voice sounding slightly tighter than it had before. "I simply asked him to sit down and relax, and we talked for a while. Then he fell asleep."

Pidge nodded understandingly. "Of course." There was plain disbelief in her voice, and whether it was fake or not, it really got on Shiro's nerves.

"No funny business?" Lance demanded testily.

Shiro gritted his teeth, struggling not to snap at the young paladin. "Nothing of the kind, Lance- you can check the security cameras if it bothers you that much."

"Got it! It's all good," Hunk said loudly, giving a broad but rather nervous smile. "No problems here. Yup."

A small, annoyed grunt came from Keith, who looked very much like he wanted to be somewhere, _anywhere_ else. And honestly, Shiro felt the same way- he was sure his face was a deep crimson for all to see. Well, at least he knew how he'd gotten back to his room last night…

Coran looked around the room with a bright smile. "Poopies!"

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

The rest of the quintant was misery in various forms. Shiro carried out his duties normally and acted as if nothing had happened, but the others made it hard to forget the awkwardness of that morning. Pidge kept smirking at Shiro every now and then, though she never said a word. She whistled love songs throughout the day; it brought back unpleasant memories of Matt teasing Shiro about a crush back at the Garrison, and that was one thing he did NOT want to relive.

He was sure he'd never feel the same about "Once Upon a Dream" after this.

Hunk was clearly trying his best to act normal, but he still seemed a bit uncomfortable- and, what was worse, amused. Hopeful, even. Every now and then, Shiro overheard snippets of Pidge and Hunk whispering excitedly to each other, and Shiro was almost certain he could hear the names "Allura" and "Shiro" coming up in the conversation. He tried to ignore them, which wasn't hard, since they stopped as soon as they caught sight of him, but it was still aggravating.

Lance was… he was something else. Obviously, he wasn't quite ready to believe Shiro's words- which made sense, somewhat, given the situation, though it still kind of hurt Shiro's feelings- and was acting like Shiro had just killed his grandmother, or something along those lines. He was especially competitive with Keith, prone to snapping, and was rather cold when he spoke to Shiro. On the flip side, though, he was more powerful than usual in training.

Keith acted pretty awkward around Shiro (and Allura, for that matter) for a little while, but seemed too afraid to say anything about it. He simply rolled his eyes when Pidge whistled, or when Hunk and Pidge whispered, or especially when Lance complained about the "incident", as he called it. Interactions with Lance often ended in a shouting match, or possibly a fight, which didn't help Shiro's mood much. He reminded himself that the paladins were just kids being kids- of course they were going to be embarrassing, whether on purpose or not. This would blow over in no time. Even so, he couldn't help but feel irritated and flustered by it all.

Allura, for one, seemed to be largely unaffected by the morning's events, although Shiro thought he saw a nervous look in her eyes when Pidge and Hunk hastily stopped whispering nearby. She might've had a slight flush on her cheeks when she addressed Shiro that afternoon, though it was likely because of training- with Shiro still unable to exert himself much, Allura had taken over training the other paladins, leaving Shiro to watch over Coran on the sidelines. She was doing a marvelous job, too; Shiro enjoyed watching how expertly she commanded the others in the heat of battle, always keeping her cool, always one step ahead of the battle droids. She was so lithe and flexible that it was a treat just to watch her train- she moved with such confidence and grace, even in the middle of a fight. Shiro had seen a lot of incredible fighters in the past year, but Allura surpassed them all.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Several vargas later found Shiro in his room, changing into his Black Paladin armor; given what was about to happen, he figured it was the most appropriate attire. Allura had made an announcement just a short while ago that they were going to a planet called Bitarius- apparently, the inhabitants, called Bitors, were well-known for their knowledge of wormholes, and seeing as Pidge, Allura, and Hunk had yet to figure out a solution for Coran's predicament, it was obvious where they had to go now. The Bitors had a powerful defense system and had thus far resisted Galra invasion with great success, so it was a relatively safe place for Voltron to go. Allura had already contacted the Bitor emperor, Blagun, who had graciously accepted their plea for help and was giving them access to some of the best scientists and researchers of his people.

Oh, and was it mentioned that the Bitors were the same species of alien that Slav was?

Shiro was thrilled.

Their estimated arrival time was that evening, and the emperor had kindly invited them to eat at his own table. Thus, everyone was trying to look their best. Shiro had just finished polishing his armor to a glossy sheen and was tugging on his boots when there came a knock on the door. A sinking feeling flooded through him, thanks to the embarrassment of the quintant so far, but politeness took over and he gave in. "Come in."

Keith came in, halting a few steps into the room. "Um, hi."

Shiro cracked a smile, relieved. "Hi."

Keith smiled briefly; after a moment's silence, he started fiddling with his gloves. Shiro knew this sign well- it meant Keith was nervous about something. Well, Shiro happened to be nervous about plenty of things at the moment, and misery loves company, so he figured he could handle it.

"What's the matter, Keith?"

Keith's face flushed slightly, and he abruptly stopped fidgeting. "I, uh, I just wanted to… um…"

Shiro smiled gently, sitting down on his bed. He patted the spot next to him. "Here, have a seat."

Keith nodded and sat down, a little stiffly. They sat in silence for a moment; Shiro was about to speak when Keith suddenly started talking.

"So, uh, I don't know what's going on here exactly, but I just thought I'd, you know, let you know that I believe you. Even if the others don't." Keith paused for a tick, then rushed on. "I mean, I think they do- Pidge and Hunk, at least. Pidge is just teasing and Hunk is excited or whatever and Lance…" He shook his head, a look of annoyance crossing his face.

"He's Lance," Shiro put in with a wry smile.

Keith chuckled, nodding. "So yeah. But…" He swallowed hard. "… I also want you to know that, if- if you, um- you know, _liked_ Allura-"

Shiro's eyes widened in surprise. Well, _this_ wasn't what he'd been expecting.

"- as in _like_ -liked her or whatever I'd be happy for you," Keith blurted out in one breath. He looked almost fearful, as if he hated himself for even mentioning the idea.  
Now it was Shiro's turn to feel awkward. How exactly was he supposed to deal with _that_? No one had ever told him something like that before, except for his grandfather, which was to be expected. This was _not_ expected. At all. Sure, Keith had teased Shiro about crushes before, but this wasn't teasing- that much was clear.

With a jolt, Shiro returned to the present, realizing that poor Keith was practically squirming in worry next to him. "Uh, well." Shiro laughed a bit nervously. "I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting that. But," he went on, seeing Keith's face fall, "I appreciate that. I really do. Thank you, Keith."

Keith looked immensely relieved. "Oh, good. I mean, no problem!" He and Shiro chuckled, some of the tension melting away. Then they lapsed into silence.

"So…" Keith seemed to be carefully considering what he was about to say. "… you _do_ kind of like her, though, right?"

Shiro's heart started racing. Oh, quiznak. "Yeah. I mean, she's a great person. Strong, selfless- she'd do anything for the team. She's the heart of Voltron, and we'd be lost without her." There. He'd answered without embarrassing himself; not that there was anything to be embarrassed about, anyway…

nKeith raised an eyebrow, his mouth curling into a slight smile. "Don't play dumb with me, Shiro-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Shiro smirked. "You're better at it."

"Hey!" Keith punched Shiro lightly in the arm, and the two laughed. Keith gave Shiro a mischievous look that set Shiro on the alert. "But seriously, Shiro- if you ever do figure out how you feel about her, I call dibs on being your chaperone. Somebody's gotta make sure you kids-"

Shiro had to laugh, despite the fact that his face flushed a bright red. "Get out of here!" he cried, shoving Keith off the bed. Keith laughingly obeyed, casting a taunting glance over his shoulder as the automatic doors closed behind him. Then Shiro was left alone.

Alone.

With his thoughts.

Quiznak, Keith.


	5. Chapter 5

Team Voltron were standing in a magnificent throne room, dwarfed by the columns and statues around them. The long rectangular room was flanked by tall pillars on either side, and between each pillar stood a statue of a Bitor emperor of years past. The statues were larger than life- about two-thirds the size of the columns- and outlined with sunbeams streaming in from the even taller windows behind them. Bitor guards stood along the throne room at intervals, each one wearing ornate armor and holding a dangerous-looking blaster. The blasters were probably the only impressive things in the room.

"You just can't make a Bitor look majestic," Lance whispered to Hunk and Pidge, who tittered. Allura cast them a severe look.

"We are here to receive help," she reminded them in an authoritative tone, "and we cannot expect to do so if we do not treat them with respect."

Shiro nodded firmly in agreement. "The Princess is right, team- we have to present our best image if we want to get Coran back to normal. All wisecracks stop here."

The younger Paladins nodded sheepishly, looking properly apologetic. However, Shiro could tell by the way their eyes danced that they weren't _completely_ sorry. He hid a smile, remembering what it was like to be their age; he had a couple of jokes himself, but knew better than to voice them. There would be time for jokes later.

Suddenly, a door adjacent to the throne opened, and two particularly fancy-looking Bitors strode out of it, stopping at either side of the throne and stamping their staffs on the ground three times. "PRESENTING HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, EMPEROR BLAGUN CHAVDAR THE 22ND OF BITOR!"

Through the same door came a row of guards and what the Paladins assumed were dignitaries, and in the midst of them all was a purple Bitor wearing the most opulent clothing Team Voltron had yet seen on this planet. A bejeweled crown sat snugly on his head, a richly-embroidered cape whisked the floor behind him as he walked, and his uniform shone with polished buttons and sewn-in gems and glossy embroidery till it seemed like a dragon had thrown up its hoard on his clothes. The Paladins had to blink several times, it was so dazzling; it vaguely occurred to Shiro that the entire scene was somehow… bizarre.

Emperor Blagun was escorted up carpeted stairs to his throne, which sat on a raised platform with an incredibly detailed tapestry hanging behind it. When the emperor had situated himself on his throne, which Shiro guessed was difficult with such a long cape, one of the dignitaries gave a sweeping gesture and announced, "Your Imperial Majesty, presenting the Paladins of Voltron!"

The Paladins bowed respectfully; then Allura stepped forward, looking every inch a princess even while holding baby Coran. "Greetings, your Excellency. I am Princess Allura of Altea, and these are the Paladins of Voltron- Shiro, Keith, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge, all of Earth." Allura gestured to each one in turn, and each one bowed as his name was called, just as they'd rehearsed. "It is with great thankfulness, and great urgency, that we come to you this evening."

A warm smile lit up Emperor Blagun's face, and he waved one of his many beringed hands dismissively. "My dear princess, there's no need for formality- you're all as welcome here as my own children! I'm already well aware of your situation, and I will do anything I can to help." Before anyone could say a word, the emperor had bounced off the throne and come directly to the Paladins themselves, much to the chagrin of the guards and dignitaries around him. Shiro noted that they looked scandalized, although they were clearly trying to conceal it; it was with some difficulty that Shiro stifled a smile.

Blagun heartily shook everyone's hand, even little Coran's, and exclaimed how happy he was to have them there (they didn't get such pleasant visitors nowadays, if you caught his meaning), how so very grateful he was to meet the new Paladins of Voltron (his nanny had always told him stories about Voltron, and now here it was before him!), how fascinating it was to see humans for the first time (weren't they a terribly primitive species? However HAD they gotten out here, anyway?), how dreadfully sorry he was about Coran's plight (but how adorable he was, too, even if he wasn't a Bitor! Ha ha!), how excited he was to be in the presence of Alteans (it had been many generations since the Bitors had seen Alteans face-to-face, you understand), and how he was absolutely willing to help them in any way he could (his kingdom was their kingdom, as far as he was concerned!). Allura could barely get a word in edgewise.

Team Voltron was treated to a tour of the palace, guided by Emperor Blagun himself (accompanied by a handful of guards and one stuffy-looking official), who beamed with pride at every turn. Pidge was enthusiastic about the technology all around her, and was gasping with delight about every two seconds. Hunk seemed pretty interested in everything; he kept trying to ask questions and kept failing. Lance was taking pictures of everything- "To show the folks back home!" he explained. "I've never been in a palace this big before!" Keith looked bewildered, as Blagun talked a mile a minute and walked with surprising speed for such a top-heavy creature. Shiro felt overwhelmed, too, but tried his hardest to seem like he understood what Blagun was nattering about. Something about the construction of the courtyards? No, that had been a few turns back…

He heard a soft, almost inaudible sigh next to him, and when he turned that way, he saw Allura walking by his side, cradling a sleeping Coran in her arms. Her face was open and friendly, but the look in her eyes was just as disoriented as Shiro felt. She seemed to feel his gaze and glanced his way, breaking into an amused grin as their eyes met. Shiro instantly knew what she was thinking: When will this guy run out of air? They both fought a chuckle at their unspoken joke.

They turned back to the emperor, but Shiro's thoughts wandered despite his best efforts. He found himself thinking of the princess, of how elegant she looked in her simple Altean gown; she might not have had the splendid jewels and gems Emperor Blagun wore, but she had infinitely more dignity and class than he- or any of the Bitor dignities, for that matter- could ever hope to have. She didn't need gaudy clothes or hundreds of guards to prove her royalty- the very way she carried herself was enough. She commanded respect without arrogance; she wielded power without cruelty; she radiated determination and resolve without losing kindness and hope.

Well, now. Shiro was waxing poetic.

He shook his head slightly, amused by his own silliness. Sure, his thoughts were true, but they sounded… weird, when he really thought about them. Less like a fellow fighter's respect and more like…

No.

He didn't want to go there.

He forced himself to return to the present, catching the tail end of another one of Blagun's long-winded explanations. "… so naturally my great-grandfather was enraged- how could his firstborn son, heir to the throne, just run off like that with a Groaldian he'd only just met? Of course, he later found out his son had been the victim of a Trevacious mind worm and the Groaldian had probably eaten him- indeed, he never saw or heard of him again, so that at least cleared his son's name. He made this memorial in his honor." Blagun wiped his eyes, gazing tearfully at the statue. "Tragic story, isn't it?"

"Very," Hunk agreed, sounding horrified. At his side, Lance took a picture of the memorial: a grandiose statue of a Bitor standing heroically over a decapitated Groaldian.

"Exotic," Shiro heard Keith murmur. Shiro fought a smirk.

Coran chose that time to wake up and demand food with an insistent howl. Allura excused herself to return to the Castle and feed Coran; Shiro caught a teasing look in her eye as she turned to go, as if to say, "Don't you wish you could escape too?" Shiro grinned, as did Keith and Hunk, who noticed it as well. They watched enviously as Allura retreated down the hall, flanked by two royal guards.

"Paladins!" crowed Emperor Blagun, making them all jump. Turning, they discovered him standing a good distance ahead of them, accompanied by Pidge, Lance, and the guards. "There's so much more to see! We're going to the science center next!"

"Oh boy!" Hunk dashed down the hallway, his voice full of excitement. Keith hurried to catch up, although not as enthusiastically as the Yellow Paladin. Shiro himself started after them, glancing over his shoulder and catching a glimpse of snowy hair disappearing around a corner.

"Keep up, Shiro!" Lance called, waving his phone at him. "We're gonna visit the local nerd society- OW!" He rubbed his arm where Pidge had elbowed him. "What?"

A chuckle rumbled in Shiro's chest as he picked up speed, noting how his side hurt less than it had in a while as he caught up with the others. Several guards glared at him suspiciously, but Shiro paid them no mind- he was distracted by the sly look Keith was giving him, which made him feel uncomfortable for some reason. He pretended he didn't notice, ignoring the way his throat started to burn.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

The science center was a marvel of technology and engineering. It was a building all to itself, nearby the palace and at least half as large. The main atrium's smooth, white walls curved upwards until they met the pristine glass ceiling, which let in beams of light that illuminated the entire room. Each story had a walkway that spanned around the room, connecting them while letting one see all the way to the roof with little obstructions. Bitors were everywhere, bustling about their business with holographic screens following them as they went. Some were carrying boxes or pushing carts, while others were followed by assistants, robotic or otherwise; still others were walking in groups, chattering intensely about their work. Every Bitor that passed the emperor bowed low to the ground, then hurried off with great speed, as if desperate to make up for a few lost seconds. They hardly seemed to notice the paladins, who were far too awed by their surroundings to care.

"Oh my word," Pidge breathed, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. "This… this is…"

"Overwhelming," Keith interjected, slack jawed.

Pidge shrugged. "I was going to say 'heaven', but that works too."

"It's like a cathedral, almost," Lance remarked, turning around in circles to take it all in.

Emperor Blagun nodded proudly. "This is our planetwide center of science, research, and technology! All our most brilliant minds work here- some of the most distinguished in the galaxy, in fact." His face clouded, his voice quieting and his eyes growing troubled. "Unfortunately, one of our leading experts on wormhole technology has gone missing. We've been looking for him for some time now, but have yet to find any sign of him. It grieves me that he isn't here to help you now."

"I'm sorry to hear that, your majesty- for your sake and his," Shiro said gently, slightly surprised by the emperor's sudden change in behavior. "Is there anything Voltron can do to help?"

Blagun smiled faintly. "I appreciate your concern, Black Paladin, but until Coran is back to normal, I take it that Voltron can do very little." He turned back to the atrium with a sweeping gesture, speaking before Shiro could reply. "But come! There are many others who can help your friend, and we can't waste time! Follow me!" He marched ahead with the same energy as before, the guards at his side, with the official bringing up the rear. The paladins hurried to keep up, dodging passing Bitors along the way.

It took a great deal of walking to reach the research labs, especially since Pidge wanted to stop and look at everything, and ask questions, and take pictures, and so on and so forth. Eventually they managed to make their way into the research labs, which were every bit as impressive as the main atrium. Large screens spanned the walls, flickering with data input that seemed to change every moment. Shelves, desks, observation pods, and other large devices were sprinkled about the room, each one occupied by an industrious Bitor in a pristine white jumpsuit. In the middle of the floor was a raised platform sectioned off by a handrail; three-dimensional holographs projected out of it, turning this way and that as scientists studied it.

"I can't, I just can't," Pidge wailed, grabbing Hunk's arm and shaking it. "It's too amazing! I just-"

Hunk laughed. "I think Pidge is broken!" The others chuckled along with him, quieting when Emperor Blagun motioned at one of the scientists.

"This is Donka, the research laboratory director and the technical supervisor!" Blagun shook one of the Bitor's hands heartily, seemingly forgetting to allow her to bow. "How goes work today, my friend?"

Donka adjusted her glasses, her expression never changing. She reminded Shiro of a rock. "Everything is as it should be, your majesty. All the equipment has been prepared, and everyone has received instructions. We're ready to examine the specimen. Where is it?"

"Specimen? Wait, you mean Coran?" Lance frowned. "Coran's not just some-" He stopped short as Shiro laid a calming hand on his shoulder.

"The princess should be back with Coran any moment now," Shiro said apologetically, turning to Donka. "Coran just needed to be fed first."

Donka looked rather exasperated, but she nodded and went back to her work, instructing one of the other scientists. Emperor Blagun began talking to another researcher, leaving the paladins to talk amongst themselves.

Lance tapped Shiro's shoulder indignantly. "Why should we let that lady talk about Coran like that? He's not just some specimen, he's- he's Coran!"

"I'm with Lance on this one," Keith put in, keeping his voice low. "She made him sound like some, I don't know, low life form."

Hunk nodded, grabbing Pidge so she didn't run off and get underfoot. "Yeah! She may not have meant it that way, but it came off as pretty harsh."

Shiro nodded. "I understand, but remember, she sees stuff like this every day. Coran's our close friend, but to her, it's just another job. Plus, we're just guests here- we have to be gracious no matter what if we want to get help for Coran."

Lance sighed. "Makes sense. It still gets under my skin, though."

"I know- same here," Shiro replied. "We just have to keep it to ourselves." He looked up as the sliding doors opened, and Princess Allura swept inside, flanked by half a dozen guards and looking rather out of breath.

"We're back!" she panted, joining the paladins with Coran in her arms. "We had to hurry to catch up- thank goodness for those rapid transit cars! They're so fast. I don't think the ride agreed with Coran's stomach, though."

Coran gurgled, looking a little green around the gills. His spit-up rag verified Allura's words, given how blotchy it was; Shiro was rather glad he hadn't been on that ride.

"Aww, poor little- wait, rapid transit cars?" Hunk exclaimed. "There were _rapid transit cars_ , and we _walked_?!"

Emperor Blagun chuckled merrily, returning to the paladins. "Of course! You can't take in the sights if you're whisking past in the blink of an eye!" He motioned ait Donka, who approached with several assistants. "I believe they're ready to begin the examination, princess."

Allura nodded, though Shiro noticed her hesitate just a tick before handing Coran over to the researchers. Coran started to whimper immediately, and he got more distraught the further they carried him from Allura. In the end, Allura had to walk along with them to their scanners in order to keep Coran quiet. Although he couldn't grasp her hand when he was placed inside the scanner, he seemed happy enough that she was nearby; in fact, he seemed relieved to be in something that wasn't moving.

"Why are you scanning him? We've done a lot of scans," Pidge remarked. "Didn't we send the data over to you?"

Donka didn't look up from her work. "With all due respect, paladin, our scanners are far more powerful than anything you have in the Castle of Lions."

"We've had ten thousand deca-phoebs to improve, y'know!" one of the assistants put in cheerfully. A scathing look from Donka sent him back to work in an instant.

Pidge glanced at the others with a "What's her problem?" kind of look, but she seemed to forget about it when the scanning started. Everyone focused on the screens; data began popping up, and Bitor hands flew across holographic keyboards as they documented and analyzed it all. Coran seemed unbothered by the soft beeping noise the scanner made; he was far too busy staring at everyone, watching with curious eyes as they went about their business. He glanced at Allura several times, relaxing when she smiled reassuringly.

Within seconds it was over, and an assistant was handing Coran back to Allura. "It will take some time to analyze the results," Donka said curtly. "We will notify you when they're ready."

"Thank you so much," Allura said, laying Coran against her shoulder. "I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for this- how grateful we all are."

Donka merely nodded and started giving orders to the other Bitors, who scrambled to obey. Emperor Blagun cleared his throat and glanced at a band around his wrist.  
"Ah- it's almost dinner varga! My favorite time of day," he laughed. "I have a few things to do before then, but feel free to explore! Like I said before, my kingdom is your kingdom!" With that, he bade them farewell and trotted out of the room at his signature energetic pace, surrounded by guards. A few guards stayed behind, however, as did the official, who finally had the time to say that his name was Greel.

"Um…" Keith looked around uncertainly. "Where's dinner going to be, anyway?"

Greel answered promptly. "I shall escort you there at the proper time. However," he went on, evaluating Team Voltron with a single glance, "I advise that you prepare for dinner with what time you have. It is not Bitor custom that guests of the emperor attend a royal dinner in armor."

Team Voltron exchanged glances. "I guess that means we go back to the castle," Hunk said. "Ugh, that's such a long way…"

The younger paladins groaned in unison, making Shiro and Allura smirk in amusement.

"Why don't we try those rapid transit cars you raved about, princess?" Shiro suggested, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. He grinned when Allura broke into a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Back at the Castle of Lions, the paladins were in a tizzy over Greel's advice, which had interestingly seemed more like criticism. They sat in the common room, waiting for Allura, who was finding them all some suitable dinner wear. Shiro, dandling little Coran on his lap, was having a bit of difficulty keeping up with the conversation as the younger paladins talked over each other.

"These dress codes are stupid- we don't have anything BUT armor! What else are we supposed to wear?" Keith complained, crossing his arms defensively.

"Well, we do have everyday clothes, but that won't cut it, I think," Hunk put in, scratching his head nervously. "Not for a royal dinner, anyway."

"I thought we were done with dress codes after we left the Garrison. Y'know, aside from being in uniform on missions," Lance remarked. "That's another thing! Why won't armor work? Lots of their guards wear armor all the time. Besides, the mer-people didn't seem to mind."

Pidge was quick to fire back a reply. "Well, the Bitors aren't mer-people, Lance! They have different customs and social norms, whether they're stupid or not!"

Shiro sighed inwardly- being near Donka had put him on edge, as much as he hated to admit it, and he was getting tired of constant noise. "That's enough, team," he said loudly. All the paladins quieted as he continued. "Whether we think their rules are… _unnecessary_ or not, we have to respect them. Remember, we're at their mercy- we can't afford to offend them. Besides," he added with a small smile, "I doubt Emperor Blagun will mind much what we look like, even if his courtiers do."

The paladins murmured their assent and fell silent, fidgeting in their seats. Personally, Shiro had to agree with them; although he himself had been subject to such rules at the Garrison, the Bitor's insistence on formal wear seemed a little extravagant, especially given Voltron's needy situation. However, he was willing to do what it took to get Coran back to normal, even if it meant dealing with petty wardrobe disagreements.

He smiled down at Coran, who was serenely playing with his fingers; it was still hard to believe that the little baby in his lap was actually Coran Heironymus Wimbleton Smythe, no matter how accustomed they'd gotten to the new routine. Shiro knew Voltron was suffering without Coran's help- especially Allura. Coran was her advisor, Shiro knew, but he could tell that Coran was much more than that. Coran was her confidant, her protector, her friend- perhaps even a father figure to her, especially precious after losing King Alfor's AI not too long ago. Shiro could still remember the look of anguish on Allura's face as she realized her father was gone forever- the pain and grief in her eyes that made his heart clench in sympathy. He couldn't imagine what pain and worry she felt for Coran, wondering if he would ever return to his normal state; if he'd even grow and mature beyond this point, or whether he'd be trapped in this form forever. The thought frightened Shiro himself, and he was sure it was a thousand times more horrifying for Allura.

Allura bustled through the sliding doors, catching everyone's attention. In her arms she carried a pile of clothing- some dresses, some uniforms that resembled Coran's previous uniform very closely. Her blue eyes sparkled brilliantly above the heap, more brightly than anyone had seen them since… well, they weren't sure when.

"There's no need to worry, paladins- I've found plenty of options for everyone!" She flopped the clothes onto one of the seats and began sorting through them. "I've got some of my dresses for Pidge, and some of Coran's old uniforms for the others, and a few cadet uniforms for special occasions- we always kept spare clothes aboard, you see…"

Pidge came to Allura's side, looking skeptical. "Um, not to burst your bubble or anything, but I'm a lot shorter than you. Those dresses are going to look like tents on me."

Allura waved off Pidge's concern with a cheerful laugh. "Don't worry, Pidge! I can hem them for you. Goodness, I must have been forced to practice hemming at least a thousand times when I was- ooh, here's a green one!"

Pidge's eyes lit up, and she started sorting through the pile, too. Keith let out a deep sigh, while Hunk seemed to be staring through the wall- Shiro assumed he was working out some engineering problem in his head. Or maybe a recipe. It could've been both. Lance was the only one who seemed remotely interested in the outfits Allura had brought, but he stayed seated for the moment, looking on with a thoughtful expression.

"Sometimes I forget Pidge isn't just a green science-y gremlin and actually _likes_ girl stuff," he remarked. For some reason, his serious tone made Shiro chuckle softly.

"People have layers," he replied. He thought for a moment before adding, "Like you, Lance. You're the jokester, but you're also our team's sharpshooter and the Blue Paladin. You're a support for the team- in more ways than I think you know." Shiro smiled warmly at the young man. "You've got a lot of layers."

Lance looked taken aback; he met Shiro's gaze for an instant and looked sharply away the next, chewing on his lip. "Uh…" Shiro wondered for a tick whether he'd said something wrong, but then Lance looked up with a genuine smile. "… thanks, Shiro."

Shiro nodded and smiled back, chuckling as Allura flung a uniform in Lance's face. "Look! It's one of Coran's uniforms- you're about the same height, so it should fit perfectly!" She handed the blue dress uniform to a very surprised Lance, then proceeded to give Keith the same treatment, although with a red cadet's uniform. Keith was extremely bored by it all and took the uniform with a small "Thank you", immediately getting up to go change.

Hunk was much more of a challenge. Eventually, he was clothed in an Altean cloak and pair of boots, with an airy tunic and an unidentified belt from Coran's room (who knew what it was for). Allura seemed pleased with her work, however, and Hunk was satisfied with his Altean garb, especially the cloak- he enjoyed how the cloak swirled around him when he walked. Lance and Pidge took to calling him "His Royal Highness" and started creating a long, complicated name that even they couldn't keep straight. It kept them entertained, though, and in stitches with laughter.

Allura showed off her hemming skills with Pidge's dress- a light, gauzy number that flared around her knees, thanks to Allura's tailoring. Allura found a sprig of faux flowers to place in her hair, and the two of them delighted over the affect; the boys would've been bored out of their minds if they hadn't been playing a very involved game of peek-a-boo with Coran.

Pidge insisted upon keeping her glasses on and met with no resistance whatsoever.

The younger paladins dispersed to make their own preparations (Shiro figured the boys were relieved to be free of Allura's clutches, except Lance, probably), and Allura turned back to the pile of clothes. "Now, Shiro, your shoulders are a bit broader than Coran's, so one of his uniforms won't do- there must be something in-" She stopped short, the sudden silence making Shiro look up from his play with Coran.

It was a few ticks before Allura turned to Shiro, holding a purple and grey uniform in her hands. "This- this was my father's…"

Shiro's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to protest, but Allura laid it on the seat next to him before he could say a word; she seemed to be swallowing back emotion as she took Coran from him. Their hands brushed in passing; something in Shiro's chest lurched, though he wasn't sure why. He looked at Allura, whose expression was unreadable.

"Princess- I-" Shiro searched for words. Quiznak, why wouldn't they come? "It's- it's a great honor, but I don't know if I-"

Allura shook her head. "It's all that will fit you- we have no more tunics like Hunk's."

Shiro looked at his feet. Wearing a dead man's clothes… the king of Altea's own clothes, no less. It shouldn't have been a problem, since it was just clothes- something Shiro had never really cared about- but somehow it held much more meaning now. Perhaps it was because of Allura's reaction. Yes, that was it.

"Wear it," Allura urged. She gave a small smile. "Wear it and honor my father."

Shiro nodded slowly, letting the meaning of the words wash over him. "Thank you, Princess."

She merely smiled as if it were nothing, but Shiro thought he saw her eyes glisten a little too brightly as she turned away, tucking Coran into the crook of her arm. Coran blew bubbles over her shoulder, waving his tiny little hands as they left the room.

 _Honor my father…_

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Emperor Blagun's table was decked out as if prepared for hundreds of guests. The long table spanned most of the dining room, which, like so many buildings in the Bitor capitol, had a glass ceiling that let the melting rays of sunset stream in. It glinted brilliantly on the silver dishes, which were heaped with exotic foods that the paladins had never seen before. It all smelled wonderful- well, except for whatever was in that tureen near Pidge's seat; that smelled more like bleach than food, and none of the paladins would touch it. Everything else was tantalizing, however, especially after months of nothing but green space goo.

The paladins sat uncomfortably in their assigned seats, feeling painfully out of place. Allura, however, seemed perfectly at ease, as if she had done this a million times before- which was likely the case, since she probably attended many royal banquets in Altea. She had traded her usual Altean dress for a silky, pale blue-gray dress that fell in soft folds around her ankles, along with a thin, gauzy cape draped over her bare shoulders. Her pearly hair was wrapped into a simple chignon, or whatever it was called in Altean. She was the picture of elegance, and her relaxed attitude only added to the effect.

Next to her was Coran in a highchair, which Emperor Blagun had so kindly arranged for; doubtless the noblemen disapproved. The highchair was made for baby Bitors, so there was quite a lot more room for Coran than necessary- he didn't have all the extra arms to fill the space, after all- but it suited him well enough to be next to Allura. Allura kept having to put Coran back into his proper seat, since he kept trying to crawl out onto the table to grab whatever caught his eye.

"Where's the emperor?" Keith asked, looking around the room. "I thought he'd be the first one here."

"Probably busy with matters of state," Allura replied, pulling Coran back into his seat for the sixth time in five doboshes. "All sorts of things can pop up suddenly- he should be here soon."

Keith sighed, running a finger around his collar. "I hope so. This suit is killing me..."

"Mine is perfect!" Lance cried cheerfully, flailing his arms out wide. "I feel so Altean! It's like we're Alteans for the night!"

At Lance's words, Allura's smile faltered a little, but Coran's next escapade seemed to distract her from whatever sad thoughts had crossed her mind.

Pidge, seated next to Lance, ducked under his outstretched arms. "Hey, watch it!" She glanced down at the place settings before them, which had far more utensils than any of the paladins were used to. "What are we supposed to do with all of these? They all look the same to me."

Hunk was hunched over his own place setting, scrutinizing everything with amusing focus. "Well, that looks like a soup spoon to me… but maybe in Bitarius it's actually a dessert spoon? That looks like a salad fork, though… yeah, I'm pretty sure it's a salad fork…"

Allura chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Hunk- all of you just follow my lead. It's really not that complicated once you know what everything is for."

Seated across from Allura, Shiro had a reasonably good view so he could follow her motions- he'd just have to crane his neck to look over the food and reverse her movements. Simple. He shook his head in bewilderment- he'd been to several Garrison banquets, but he'd been just as clueless about proper utensil use then as he was now. It was all so stupid- why couldn't things just be simple? Why all the rigamarole?

Well, then the crown would be using the same amount of utensils as the rest of Bitarius- they simply _couldn't_ have that, Shiro reminded himself, smirking. Positively shameful.

"Enjoying the view?"

Shiro turned to Keith, who was fidgeting nervously next to him; even so, there was a sly look in Keith's eyes that set Shiro on guard. "Huh?"

"You know, the view," Keith whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "The one right in front of you."

Shiro looked in front of him, wondering what Keith was getting at. "What are you talking about? There's only All-" Shiro cut off in midsentence, almost biting his tongue.

Quiznak…

Keith was grinning now. "Exactly."

"It's not like- I've just been thinking, that's all," Shiro protested, keeping his voice low. The others were talking amongst themselves, but they still felt too close for comfort.

Keith coughed into his arm- to mask a laugh, Shiro thought irritably. "That's obvious. You've been staring for the past five doboshes- honestly, it's kind of embarrassing."

"I've been thinking about the _silverware_ , Keith," Shiro insisted. That sounded silly, even to himself. "About how I don't know how to use it."

Keith nodded, shifting in his seat. "Sure. Silverware. Makes sense."

Shiro fought the urge to groan- he'd forgotten what a little pest Keith could be when he put his mind to it. Well, there was no truth to it- maybe he had been looking in Allura's direction, but he hadn't been _staring_ at her. Even so, he had to fight the urge to look away when Allura glanced in his direction. Somehow, Keith's words had made him distinctly uncomfortable. It was stupid, of course, since there was no truth to them, but he couldn't deny how they made him feel. Why did Keith have to-

Shiro was saved from his own mind when Emperor Blagun swept in, with whom the paladins assumed was his wife on one of his arms. "Hello, hello, my friends!" he boomed, waving cheerfully at them as they stood in respect. "Please excuse our tardiness- had a few simple matters to clear up! But please, allow me to introduce the _real_ ruler of Bitarius-" He motioned to his wife with great flourish- "my dear wife, Asya!"

Empress Asya smiled sweetly, shaking her head at Blagun's words. "It is my honor to meet you all, Princess Allura- paladins of Voltron- Coran." She nodded at each one in turn, making each one feel noticed while also putting them at ease. She was just as adorned as her husband, but somehow the effect was less busy and more elegant- perhaps it was simply because she was much calmer.

Everyone was seated in several ticks- some grumpy-looking dignitaries had come in as well- and the first course began. The paladins instinctively turned to Allura for guidance and pretty much copied whatever she did. There was an embarrassing pause whenever she had to deal with Coran- Team Voltron was used to their conversations being interrupted by him, but the Bitors weren't. They seemed to deal with it fairly well, though, and never commented upon it.

"Pardon my curiosity, but have you ever visited Bitarius before, princess?" Asya asked, spreading her napkin on her lap. "I'm sure my husband has mentioned it, but it has been quite some time since Bitors have ever set eyes on Alteans."

Allura smiled warmly- the question didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. "I haven't been on Bitarius itself, but I was on a Bitor research ship once- with my father, of course. He was always so fascinated with the technology of other kingdoms. My mother, on the other hand, was more interested in their customs." She paused to put Coran back in his seat. "Coran, will you _please_ stop moving- so they both loved traveling a great deal. They almost always brought me along."

Coran whined in annoyance, making an adorable pouty face.

"Ah!" cried Blagun, his eyes lighting up. "That means you knew my ancestor Le'ev the Second! Historians say he was a close ally of Altea."

Allura smiled and nodded. "I remember him well- he was very quiet, but very kind. I think he gave me a sweet of some sort when we visited his research ship- I was quite young at the time."

Blagun nodded, smiling proudly. "That was Le'ev for you- always generous, always ready to help those in need. I believe he searched the galaxy for any survivors of…" He paused as Asya put a hand on his arm. "… oh dear. I beg your pardon, princess."

Allura smiled, though Shiro saw a glint of sadness in her eyes. "There is no need to apologize, your Excellency. I am happy to hear that Bitarius did its best to help my people."

Emperor Blagun smiled sympathetically. "We were not the only friends of Altea. You'd be surprised to know just how many kingdoms reached out to try and help- however, Zarkon and his empire annihilated a great deal of them." As he spoke, the light left his eyes, replaced by a cold, stony look. "It makes me _sick_."

The paladins exchanged quick glances. The livid hiss in Blagun's voice was startling- even Allura looked rather taken aback, though she quickly regained composure.

"We have been resisting Galra control ever since Zarkon began his conquest," Asya said, looking stern, but having none of the fire that shone so brightly in Blagun's eyes. "It has been a fight to keep our people free, and there have been times when the Galra came close to overcoming us. But so far, we have held our ground."

Allura's eyes shone brilliantly in the evening light, her cheeks flushed with passion. "You have no idea how much that encourages me, your Highnesses."

"All of us," Shiro agreed, feeling his respect for the Bitors increase tenfold. "Voltron will back you up all the way." The other paladins nodded in agreement; Lance pumped his arm, letting out an "Amen to that!" Coran let out a little squeal, making everyone smile.

Emperor Blagun's face softened. "Thank you, Voltron. You are the hope of the universe, and your support means more than you know." He seemed to be about to say something further, but at that moment, the dining room doors opened, and in walked a rather short Bitor in a lab uniform.

"Please pardon my interruption, your Highnesses!" he cried, bowing low to the floor. "But I have important news from Dr. Donka- they've finished processing the lab results, and they're very encouraging- she said she might've found a way to turn Coran back to normal!"


End file.
